


When You're Happy

by pensversusswords



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-02
Updated: 2015-06-02
Packaged: 2018-04-02 14:37:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4063660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pensversusswords/pseuds/pensversusswords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Steve brings Tony flowers, not knowing he's allergic. Cue cuddling and promises to make it up to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When You're Happy

**Author's Note:**

> For [Lucy](http://stevetny.tumblr.com/).

The thing is, they’d only been dating for a couple weeks. Blissful, unrepentantly glorious weeks, to be certain, but Steve still felt nervous around Tony. Not in a bad way, of course. Nervous in the way that made Steve finally know what people meant when they said someone made them have butterflies in their stomach, or why cheesy love songs were written. Not that he’d been opposed to romance before, but he’d never really understood before that cheesy sometimes just meant “honestly happy and in love.”

Just the sound of Tony’s voice had him so unbelievably captivated, so utterly smitten. He quite literally meant it when he said he didn’t know being with anyone could feel this way.

But, still. He got nervous. Which was why when he showed up at Tony’s work with a massive bouquet of flowers and curled up in the comfy chair in the corner of his office to wait for him to be ready for lunch, he immediately started sweating a little bit after the set of sneezes wracked Tony’s body.

He stayed silent until the third time he devolved into a sneezing fit, when it was unmistakable to make out the watery eyes and red nose.

“Tony?” he asked tentatively. Tony looked up, gave him a little smile and raised his brows in a gesture that said “yes?”.

Steve closed the sketchbook he’d been doodling in and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Are you… sick?”

“What? No, not at all.” It might have been more convincing if his Ns didn’t sound like Ds.

“Are you sure?” Steve hedged, still clinging to a tiny shred of hope that Tony wasn’t sneezing because of the flowers he’d brought for him. “You look a bit sick.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Tony said, smiling reassuringly. “Just a bit dusty in here, don’t worry about it, honey.”

The tail end of the pet name was contorted by an especially loud sneeze that had him pitching forward in his chair. He fumbled for a tissue and turned away as he wiped his nose and dabbed at his damp eyes.

Shit.

“It’s spotless in here,” Steve said with a heavy sigh. He’d known Tony long enough to know that if he was allergic to the flowers, he wouldn’t admit to it easily. He’d probably let them sit there in his office all day if it meant not telling Steve they were making him miserable.

“No it’s definitely dusty,” Tony disagreed, turning back to him and giving him a watery smile. “I’ll have to give the cleaning staff a talking to.”

“No you won’t,” Steve said, pointedly looking at the flowers that sat on Tony’s desk. He’d been so excited when he bought them but now they just looked garish and intrusive and he just wanted them out of there. “Are you allergic to the flowers?”

Tony grimaced. “No?”

“That sounded more like a question than an answer.”

Tony chewed at his bottom lip. Steve stared at him stubbornly.

Finally, Tony threw up his hands, and jabbed a finger at him, his words suddenly coming out of him in a rush. “Okay I am, but don’t you dare feel bad about it, it was sweet and thoughtful and you had no idea, so - wait what the hell are you - Steve!”

Steve had stood up with a tiny grunt of frustration and bolted across the room, grabbed the flowers and, before he was able to fully string together a coherent thought, stalked over to the open window and tossed the flowers out.

They were both silent for a long minute, staring at the empty space where Steve had just thrown the flowers, until Tony cleared his throat.

“Um. Well. I wasn’t expecting that,” he said weakly. His voice was all stuffed up and Steve felt like a grade A asshole for it.

Steve turned around, feeling more than a bit sheepish. “I may not have thought that through.”

“You think?”

Steve shrugged miserably.

“Aw don’t pout, come here.” Tony got up from his desk chair and made his way over to Steve, one hand outstretched towards him.

Steve took his hand willingly, and allowed himself to be lead back over to the chair he’d been sitting in before he went throwing floral arrangements from office buildings. He allowed himself to be pushed into the chair, flopping down with a huge, gusting sigh. Once he was seated, Tony released his hand and clambered into his lap, sitting sideways so he could bury his face in the crease where Steve’s neck met his shoulder. Steve wrapped his arms carefully around his waist and hugged him. Steve felt a wave of guilt rush through him when Tony sniffed again.

“Sorry,” he murmured, burying his face in Tony’s hair.

“I don’t wanna hear it,” Tony admonished, flicking Steve’s shoulder. “You didn’t know, baby. It’s alright.”

“I made you sick,” Steve said plainly. “If I had known-”

“You wouldn’t have brought them. I know that Steve, seriously.” Tony burrowed further into Steve’s arms, all but nuzzling against his neck. Through the guilt that was curling in his stomach, he felt something warm and fond heating his insides. God, he loved holding Tony.

Tony sneezed again.

Steve groaned glumly and reached out to the table beside him for the nearest box of tissues and Tony took them gratefully.

“Quit it with the puppy dog eyes and frowning,” Tony commanded, wiping his face and disposing of the tissue. He produced a bottle of hand sanitizer and rubbed it into his hands. “I’m warning you Rogers, this is unacceptable.”

His scolding might have held more weight if it weren’t for the plugged noise voice.

“I’m s-”

“Nope,” Tony exclaimed, and pressed a hand over Steve’s mouth. “No more apologizing. My office, my rules.”

He didn’t remove his hand until Steve nodded in agreement, but only because Tony wanted him to.

“Let me make it up to you,” Steve said. He reached one hand up to cup Tony’s cheek, tenderly brushing a stray hair away from his face. Tony hummed happily and closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.

“No need,” he said, a touch dopily, and Steve couldn’t be sure if it was the affection or the allergies. Probably both.

“I want to,” Steve insisted.

Tony’s fluttered open as he sighed and shifted in Steve’s lap. He threw his arms around Steve’s neck and pressed a lazy kiss to his cheek. “I’m not gonna argue with you, cause I know you’re one stubborn ass,” Tony mumbled.

“Great,” Steve said, and darted in to kiss Tony’s nose. As per usual, he scrunched it up in response. Also, as usual, it was adorable. “I’ll think of a way. But for now, you choose the restaurant for today and I’ll go pick it up. Along with some allergy medicine.”

“You’re giving up your restaurant choice?” Tony said incredulously. He fluttered a hand to his chest dramatically in mock surprise, his voice lilting up a few octaves. “Why, Steve Rogers. I never.”

“Dork,” Steve laughed, and Tony shrugged unapologetically.

“What are the chances of you not arguing with me if I wanted to come with you?”

“Zero,” Steve told him.

Tony harrumphed. Surprisingly, he didn’t press on. He must’ve really felt miserable.

“So, what do you want?” Steve asked, pushing down a fresh wave of guilt. He’d think about that later.

Tony mused for a few moments, tapping one finger over his lips. Then he smiled, leaned in and kissed Steve sweetly. “The Thai place.”

Steve frowned. “What? No, that’s where I picked for today. It’s your choice, remember?”

“Yup,” Tony said cheerfully, kissed him again. “That’s my choice.”

“There are plenty of places you like more-”

“My choice, baby.”

Steve made a frustrated noise. “But why? I want you to have what you want.”

Tony smiled softly, titled his head slightly to one side and looked directly at Steve with eyes like liquid ochre, bright and affectionate. He brought one hand up to cup the back of Steve’s neck, tangling his fingers with the soft hairs at the nape of his neck. “I want what you want,” Tony said simply, his voice honest and barely above a whisper. “It makes me happy when you’re happy.”

They were talking about _lunch_ , for goodness sake, but Steve couldn’t help but melt inside at Tony’s words.

He leaned in and kissed him again and Tony made a little happy noise at that, which didn’t really help the whole melting situation.

“I love you, you know?” Steve whispered against his mouth. He kissed his lips once more before beginning to pepper Tony’s face with soft kisses. His cheeks. His nose. His forehead. His chin. Tony sat still and let him.

“Yes,” he said, an _“obviously”_ just barely hidden in his voice. “And I love you.”

Steve kissed him once more, hugged him close, and then carefully turned them around, lowering Tony down into the chair while he freed himself. Even when standing, he kept one hand curved over his face, his thumb stroking his cheek while Tony smiled up at him.

“I’ll be right back,” Steve told him, not wanting to leave at all.

Tony nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

Steve leaned down and stole one last kiss. He laughed a little when Tony yanked him closer by his sleeve and deepened the kiss.

He sniffed, then grinned up at Steve. “One for the road. Now go. And hurry back.”

“I will.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come join me on [my tumblr](http://www.pensversusswords.tumblr.com/). <3


End file.
